Report: Elliot Cohen released confidential information, worked side job on city hour

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Updated: 6:38 PM EDT Sep 28, 2016

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WEBVTT
PARKER IS IN THE NEWSROOM WITH
THE DETAILS.
TERRI?
TERRI: I SPOKE TO ELLIOT COHEN
TODAY.
HE DID ISSUE A STATEMENT BUT
BEYOND THAT HE WANTS TO MAKE
EAR THIS IS HIS SECOND ETHICS
INVESTIGATION AND THE FIRST ONE
FOUND HE DID NOTHING WRONG.
BUT THE INSPECTOR GENERAL SAYS
HIS INVESTIGATION IS MUCH
BROADER AND BRINGS INTO A
QUESTION A $$3 MILLION DEAL AND
THE POSSIBLE VIOLATION OF STATE
LAWS THAT HE'S NOWFERRED TO
THE STATE ATTORNEY.
IT ALL STARTED LT YEAR WHEN
WEST PALM BEACH CITY SPOKESMAN
ELLIOT COHEN RELEASED THOUSANDS
OF EMAILS ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE
IN RESPONSE TO A REPORTERS'
PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST.
THE EMAILS CONTAINED PRIVATE
INFORMATION ABOUT POLICE,
CONFIDENTIAL INFORMANTS AND
OTHER AGENCIES LIKE THE DE
THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN REDACT.
MAYOR JERI MUOIO DEFENDED COHEN
AT THE TIME, BLAMING INSTEAD A
BREAKWN IN THE CITY'S SYSTEMS
, BUT AFTER A YEAR LONG
INVESTIGATION, THE INSPECT
GENERAL NOW SAYS COHEN IS
RESPONSIBLE.
I THINK IT IS A BIG DEAL
BECAUSE IT CROSSES BOUNDARIES.
THE RELEASE OF VERY SENSITIVE
COUPLE AND EXEMPT INFORMATION.
NOW WE HAVE SOMEBODY
RESPONSIBLE.
TERRI: MUOIO ALSO DEFENDED
COHEN'S SIDE JOB RUNNING A
PUBLIC RELATIONS COMPANY SAYG
SHE KNEW ALL ABOUT IT.
THE REPORT SAYS IT FOUNTHAT
COHEN USED HIS DESK, CITY PHONE
AND CITY-PAID HOURSO CONDUCT
BUSINESS ON THE SIDE AND USED
HIS CITY POSITION TO SOLICIT
MORE BUSINES
BUT MOST TROUBLING, THE REPORT
SAYS COHEN DID NOT DISCLOSE HE
HAD A CONTRACT WITH AN OSIDE
AGENCY, RMA.
THAT ENDED UP BIDDING FOR AN
RECEIVING A BIG CITY JOB TO THE
TUNE OF $3 MILLION.
WHILE IT SAYS ITS PR MAN COHEN
WAS PRIVY TO INSIDE INFORMATION
ABOUT THE BID.
>> HE EVEN HAD INPUT INTO WHO
WAS SITTING ON THE SELECTION
COMMITTEE DURING THE PROCESS.
TERRI: COHEN ISSUED THIS
STATEMENT, SAYING THIS OPINION
IS ABOUT OLD ISSUES THAT HAVE
ALREADY BEEN THOROUGHLY
INVESTIGATED AND CLEARED BY,
AMONG OTHERS, THE PALM BEACH
COUNTY COMMISSION ON ETHICS.
COHEN DID SUSPEND AND ULTIMATELY
TERMINATE HIS CONTRACT WITH THAT
AGENCY WHO GOT THE BID, BUT THE
INSPECTOR SAYS STATE LAW SAYS
YOU MUST MAKE THESE ASSOCIATIONS
KNOWN IN WRITING, AND BOTH COHEN
AND RMA DID NOT ALERT ANYONE OF
THEIR RELATIONSHIP PRIOR TO THE

Inspector general finds former city spokesman violated rules

Report: Elliot Cohen released confidential information, worked side job on city hour

The Palm Beach County Inspector General’s Office reviewed three citizen complaints filed last year against former West Palm Beach City Communications Director Elliot Cohen, and tacked on three more, finding all six to be “supported.”

The office forwarded two of the allegations to the State Attorney’s Office for review of any possible criminal violations, as well as to the Florida Commission on Ethics. The investigation began last year when Cohen released a massive number of emails on the city’s website in response to a reporter’s public records request.

Inspector General John Carey concluded after reviewing over 200,000 emails and phone records that Cohen was responsible and did not redact information he should have been aware needed redacting.

At the time, Mayor Jeri Muoio defended Cohen, blaming instead a breakdown in city policies. She also defended his side job, Cohen Publicity.

The report said it found that Cohen also used his desk, city phone and city-paid hours to conduct business on the side, and to solicit more business.

Most troubling, according to Carey, the report said Cohen did not disclose he had a contract with an outside agency, RMF, that was bidding for and ultimately received a city job, paying about $3 million.

That award should now be questioned in light of Cohen’s insider knowledge, according to the report.

Cohen released a statement that said, “This opinion is about old issues that have already been thoroughly investigated and cleared by, among others the Palm Beach County Commission on Ethics. Despite the fact that the County Ethics Commission found no violations, I am sorry that any improper information was accidentally included in public records request, but since I don’t work for the city any more I must defer to the city to talk about its policies and procedures.”